Game-counter



J. VOELKER. GAME COUNTER.

(No Model.)

No. 545,322. Patented Aug. 27,1895.

INVENTOH WITNESSES:

Arron/v5 Y8.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIC JOSEPH VOELKER, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

GAME-COUNTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 545,322, dated August 27, 1895.

Application filed May 16,1895. semi 110,549,561. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J osEPH VoELKER, of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Game-Register, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact'description.

This invention relates to an improved registering device for keeping tally of points in a game for amusement which may be played with cards or any other device with which an entertaining game of chance or skill may be played.

The objectof the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive registering device, which will be small, portable, convenient to manipulate, and which will be adaptedfor the successive registering of points made by the player of a game of cards or other game which is tallied as it progresses to determine the winner by a comparison of the number of points secured by each player during the game.

' The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts, as hereinafter described, and indicated in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the registering device, having a portion of the cap-plate removed to expose a dial-plate immediately below the cap-plate. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the register, showing working parts of the same, which are exposed by removal of the dial and cap plate; and Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view substantially on the line 3 3 in Fig. 2.

A preferably cylindrical shallow case 10 is provided for the inclosure of the other parts of the device, and may be formed of sheet metal or other suitable material. A removable lid 10 affords a cap-plate for the register, and will be further described.

At or near the center of the case, on its bottom wall, an upright post 11 is erected, the said post being reduced at its lower end, which is preferably threaded below the shoulder afforded by the diametrical reduction mentioned. Within the case a centrally perforated and dished bell 12 is seated on the lower wall of the same, receiving the threaded end of the post that also passes through the bottom of the case, a nut on the projecting extremity of said post serving to clamp the bell in place and also to maintain the post erect, as shown in Fig. 3. A diametrical reduction of the upper portion of the post 11 is preferably produced, thus affording a shoulder thereon at a suitable distance from the upper end, and the reduced body of the post is preferably made cylindrical to adapt it for the loose support of other parts. A comparatively thin fiat arm 13 is laterally projected from the post 11, and for convenience in connection therewith the arm may have a perforation near one end'which receives the reduced stem of the'post 11, and is thereon secured by any suitable means, so that the arm will lie in a plane at right angles with the post.

On the reduced part of the post 11 above the arm 13, a lever 14 is loosely mounted, the lever having its body perforated near one end to adapt it for such an engagement, and the main portion of the lever projects nearly opposite from the arm 13 whereon it has aloose hearing. The length of the lever 14 is pro portioned to the diameter of the case 10, so that the free end of said lever will project a proper distance through and beyond a slot 10 in the side of the case, and if necessary to afford freedom for a vibration of the lever an open notch may be cut in the edge of the bell 12, as indicated in Fig. 3. A thump-piece 10 projects from the case to facilitate the movement of the lever 14 by the hand of the operator. The notch or slot in the case 10 is so located that it will permit the lid or cap piece 10 to be placed on the free top edge of the case and avoid any frictional contact of the cap-piece with the lever 14, and as it is essential that the lever shall be pressed toward one end of the slot it works in, so that it will be in position for actuating other parts when moved toward, the opposite end of the slot, a spring 15 is coiled on the post 11 and has one end secured thereto, the opposite end of said spring pressing on the lever, so as to normally hold it at one terminal of the slot it occupies. A ratchet-toothed wheel 16 is loosely mounted on the stem of the post 11 and rests on the inner end portion of the lever 14:, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and a pawl 17, which is pivoted on the lever and has its toe spring-pressed toward the teeth of the ratchet-wheel, is adapted to partly rotate the wheel a degree equal to the length of one of its teeth at everyfull vibration of the lever.

To render the registering device eflicient, a dial 18 is imposed on the ratchet-wheel 16 and secured thereto. Preferably it is centrally apertured to produce an angular hole therein, which polygonal aperture is engaged by a polygonal-shaped boss 16 formed on the wheel 10 and that neatly fits therein, so that a rocking movement of the lever 14.- toward the thumb-piece 1O on the case 10, which partly rotates the wheel, will correspondingly move the dial. On the upper surface of the dial indicating-figures are produced in consecutive order and equally spaced apart, any suitable number of these numerals or integers being provided to suit the number of points to be registered by the device. An orifice of proper size, which may be circular, as shown at 10 in Fig. 1, is formed in the cap-piece 10 at such a point as will permit each numeral on the dial to be successively exposed through said orifice as the dial is rotated.

In order to retain the ratchet-wheel 16 and dial 18 from recession when actuated by a rocking movement of the lever 14L, there is a detent-dog 19 pivoted on the arm 13, having its toe in loose engagement with a tooth of the ratchet-wheel when the pawl 17 is similarly engaged with an opposite tooth of said Wheel, as shown in Fig. 2. The dog 10 is pressed toward the wheel 16 to enforce its contact therewith by a loop-bent spring 20 which has one end secured to the arm 13, and is thence outwardly projected in bow form,.the free end portion of said spring being returned toward the arm, so as to press on the dog, as shown in Fig. 2, and the body of the spring may pass through a keeper-staple 20 on the arm 13. From the opposite end of the dog 19 there is 21 preferably curved arm 21 extended, having asuitable length, and the said arm, which is slightly elastic, has a bell-hammer 531, formed or secured on its free end, that by the set of the arm is held near to but not in contact with the bell 12, as shown in Fig. 2.

In Fig. 1 a series of spaced indicating-um morals from 1 to 9, inclusive, is shown, which will be sufficient to register points made in many games played with cards or other devices, but the number of registering-figures may be increased or diminished if this is desired, the series represented being adopted to show the operation of the device. There is a greater space between figures 1. and 9 than between other numerals of the series, so that if the dial be adjusted to evenly dispose the said figures at each side of the orifice 10 a blank will appear, thus denoting no points made in a game.

To use the device for noting the points in a game made by each player, each contestant should be provided with one of the improved registers, unless there be partners in the game, in which case one indicator will serve for each pair of partners. It will be seen that as a game progresses, the party keeping tally of points made by himself, or himself and partner, can register one or more points in succession on the improved device by pressing the projecting end of the lever lat toward thethumbpiece 10", thereby actuating the ratchet-wheel 16,so as to move the dial 18 in the direction of the arrow 1 in Fig. 1, one step at a time, which will cause numerals in l 2 order to appear in sequence at the orifice 1O in an obvious manner, and for each point thus registered a stroke of the hammer-head 21" will be produced that will sound the bell 12.

The extreme simplicity and reliable action of the improved registering device are evident features of advantage possessed by the improvement, as the parts are few in number and not liable to derangement from use.

It will be particularly noted that the einployment of the detent-dog 19 in a dual capacity-as a lock for the ratchet-wheel to prevent reverse movement and also as the heel portion of the bell-hammer-affords a very compact, novel and useful feature of the invention. Furthermore, the location of the bell 12, as shown, enables the working parts ofthe register to be located within the inverted bell, which is essential, as it permits the bell to be given a diameter nearly equal to that of the case 10, and facilitates the re duction of size of the entire device, so that it may be readily carried in the vest pocket of the user, when not in service.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a register, the combination with a case, and a cap-piece thereon having a single orifice, of an inverted concave bell nearly equal in diameter to that of the case, and arranged within the same, a dial rotatably supported on the post, and havinga series of indicators adapted to successively appear at the orifice in the cap-piece, and actuating mechanism arranged within the bell and adapted to move the dial and expose the indicators in sequence at the orifice in the cap-piece, substantially as described.

2. In a register, the combination with a case provided with a cap or top having an opening therein, of an inverted concave bell secured in the case, a post projecting from the center of the bell, a ratchet wheel secured to the upper end of the post, a dial secured to the ratchet wheel, a lever mounted on the post and projecting through the case, a pawl carried by the lever engaging the ratchet Wheel, and a second pawl engaging the ratchet wheel and carrying a bell hammer, substantially as described.

3. In a register, the combination with a closed case having an opening in its top, of an inverted concave bell in the case, a post securing the bell to the case, a ratchet wheel on the upper end of the post below the top of the case, a dial secured to the ratchet wheel, an arm on the post, a pawl carried by the IIO arm and engaging the ratchet wheel, a bell hammer carried by the pawl, a lever mounted loosely on the post and projecting through the case and a pawl pivoted on the lever and engaging the ratchet wheel, substantially as de scribed 4. In a register, the combination, with a cylindrical case, and a cap-piece therefor having a single orifice, of an inverted concave bell held in the case by an upright post, an arm laterally projected from said post, a springpressed lever on the post above the arm, a ratchet wheel loose on the post, a spring- 

